Jordan's run for Lupus

On Sunday, April 16th, I'll be running in my first half marathon, and to help alleviate the strain of training and competing, I've decided to raise funds for Lupus research - a cause very close to my heart.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or lupus for short, is a severe, incurable and debilitating multisystem autoimmune disease. Lupus patients simultaneously or sequentially suffer irreversible immune-mediated inflammatory damage in the brain, kidneys, heart, central nervous system, lungs, joints, skin, blood and other organs.

My mother has sadly suffered from this condition for the better part of her adult life and deals with its challenges every day. By raising money for this cause, not only am I able to support a charity close to my heart, but it helps put the pain of training and the half-marathon itself into perspective, which pales in comparison to what sufferers of lupus deal with every day.

If I meet my fundraising goal of $5,000 before race day, I'll peroxide and colour my hair purple (the official colour of lupus awareness).

All funds raised will be donated to the Kim Jolly Lupus Research fund via Monash University. The fund was created to support and accelerate research into finding better treatments for Australians living with lupus, and ultimately finding a cure. Further info can be found here: https://www.monash.edu/medicine/scs/research/lupus-research/donate

If you'd like to join me on race day, as a competitor in either the half-marathon or a 5ker, or as a spectator, more info can be found here: https://raceroster.com/events/2023/62615/geelong-half-marathon

I'll also be logging my progress via Instagram - throw me a follow: https://www.instagram.com/jordanw2w/